Oh Hyun-kyung Rediscovers Her Love of Acting

Actress Oh Hyun-kyung dominates the small screen, appearing both in sitcom and drama. Her shooting schedules take up seven days a week, and she claims she rarely manages to sleep only more than two hours a day. Yet she is happier than ever.

At first, it seemed impossible for Oh, who had already started shooting sitcom "High Kick Through the Roof," to join the cast of cable TV drama "Mrs. Town." "Thankfully, both directors were very considerate about my schedule, so I can manage to do both. I have shooting schedule non-stop throughout the week, but it's possible if I sleep a bit less, and use the time to study scripts," she says.

She is especially attached to the role of a former top star and now successful jewelry designer in "Mrs. Town," because this is a successful career woman of the same age as the actress. "You know I'm not young any more, and there are many young actresses coming up," she says. "I think I won't get an opportunity to play a role like this that often."

Oh Hyun-kyung

Oh made a successful comeback in 2007, after 10 years of absence from showbiz following a sex video scandal. In "Mrs. Town," Oh appears with a unique hairstyle, flamboyant fashion and heavy makeup. She looks different from her usual image, but it is refreshing and feels good.

Oh was a glittering figure from the onset of her career. Twenty years ago, she won the 1989 Miss Korea beauty pageant, and soon became one of the top stars. Her pretty and vivacious look captured the hearts of many fans.

Oh was once a businesswoman herself, starting a golf fashion business in 2004 and modeling for it. She had to give it up when she returned to acting. "It's not easy to do both at once. When you run a business, you have to put all your time and energy into it. I had to make a choice between the two at one point," she says. "I think actors are born with something special. When you deviate and go on an alternative path, it's never easy. I did my best when I had my own business, but I finally felt at home when I came back to acting."

Because of her tight schedule, Oh rarely gets to see her daughter, although she is at an age when she requires a lot of her mother's attention. But the actress tried to make her daughter understand the situation instead of attempting to be a super mom. "When I'm shooting dramas, it's almost impossible to look after my daughter. But once the shoot is over, she is my utmost priority. I try to make her understand the situation as much as possible. I take her to the set, so that she can understand why mommy leaves early in the morning and comes back late at night."

Oh made her debut after she won the Miss Korea pageant, and never learned to act properly. "I can't say I'm good at it, but don't you think the moment will come if I keep doing it? I won't take any shortcuts until that moment comes. At times, acting seems so daunting and difficult, but it's something that I love more than anything, and it's what makes me the happiest."